The SC Democratic electorate was whiter, I feel, in 2004 than it is today, though it'd still be quite African-American. Anyway, in response to your question: the reason Edwards won SC should be pretty obvious; it's the same reason Obama won Indiana in 2008 - a 'home state' bump of sorts; Edwards came from next-door NC and was a homespun southerner. (Imagine how elated Southern Democrats would feel at the prospect of four elections in a row where the Democratic candidate was southern.) It was the fact that not only was Edwards a southerner, but he was from nearby NC.
Edwards was born in Seneca, SC and attended a semester at Clemson University
